1. Fields of the Invention
The present invention belongs to the technical field relating to an electro-optical device and a method for fabricating the same. More particularly, the present invention belongs to the technical field relating to an electro-optical device provided with interconnecting electrode layers for satisfactorily maintaining electrical connections between pixel electrodes and thin-film transistors (hereinafter referred to as “TFTs”) for switching pixels, a method for fabricating the same, and an electronic apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an electro-optical device generally includes an electro-optical material such as a liquid crystal enclosed between a pair of substrates. A TFT array substrate, as an example of one of the pair of substrates, is provided with a plurality of pixel electrodes formed in a matrix, and a counter substrate, as an example of the other substrate, is provided with a light-shielding film which is formed like a grid corresponding to the spaces between the pixel electrodes for delimiting a pixel-aperture region in each pixel (i.e., a region in which light passes through the electro-optical material in each pixel). In such a case, in order to prevent a decrease in the contrast ratio in the display image due to light leakage around the individual pixel electrodes, the grid light-shielding film is formed so as to slightly overlap the individual pixel electrodes in a plan view. Since the light-shielding film provided on the counter substrate side is relatively separated from the pixel electrodes with the electro-optical material, etc. therebetween, in consideration of light entering obliquely and a deviation in the alignment of both substrates, the pixel electrodes and the light-shielding film must overlap with a considerable margin. This hinders an increase in the pixel-aperture ratio (i.e., the ratio of the pixel-aperture region to the entire pixel region in each pixel).
Consequently, under the general requirement for displaying bright images, in order to increase the pixel-aperture ratio, a technique is generally employed in which in addition to the delimitation of the pixel-aperture regions by the light-shielding film on the counter substrate side, the individual pixel-aperture regions are partially delimited by forming data lines composed of a light-shielding material such as Al (aluminum) broadly so as to cover the longitudinal spaces between pixel electrodes. In accordance with this technique, since the pixel-aperture regions are partially delimited by the data lines, the pixel-aperture ratio can be increased.
On the other hand, in such an electro-optical device, although each pixel electrode and a switching element, such as a TFT, provided on each pixel must be connected to each other, a thick layered structure with a thickness of approximately 1,000 nm (nanometers) or more lies therebetween, which includes wiring such as scanning lines, capacitor lines, and data lines, and a plurality of interlayer insulating films for electrically insulating them from each other. Thereby, it is difficult to open a contact hole for electrically connecting the pixel electrode and the element to each other.